10 questions for Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips

TAMPA - He's your favorite meteorologist and is our most requested 10 questions candidate yet.

Find out why our own Denis Phillips says Santa inspired him to be a meteorologist with this week’s 10 questions.

1.) What is your all time favorite movie or song?
All time favorite movie is SO tough. I am a HUGE movie buff. I'd probably break it down to genre. But if you had to pin me down, my favorite is Searching for Bobby Fisher. Obscure, isn't it? It's a great movie about a gifted child and his relationship with his father. Second favorite? Animal House. That's an extreme. Isn't it?

2.) Do you have a Smartphone? If so, what's your favorite app?
I am a tech geek!!! I have pretty much every electronic gadget I can find. So yes, I have smartphone. It’s an HTC Evo. LOVE it! I don't have a favorite app but Google Sky is pretty cool. I love the fantasy football apps, too.

3.) Who do you count as your mentor(s)?
My mentor in my job is Bob Ryan, Chief Meteorologist in Washington D.C. I watched him growing up. He's the best. Of course, my other mentor was my dad.

4.) What was your very first job?
My very first job was a dishwasher at a Bob's Big Boy in Fairfax, Virginia. I was 16.

5.) If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
Believe it or not, I'm really shy in group events. I wish I were more comfortable in settings like that.

6.) What do you consider your greatest success?
No question, easiest one to answer: my kids.

7.) Tell us something about you most people don't know?
I think people think because you're on TV or perform for a living, you're naturally outgoing and enjoy the "party scene". Not me. I'm a "homebody" most of the time. Nothing in the world beats hanging with my kids. I don't go out much. In fact, almost never.

8.) If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would they be?
Hmm….tough one. I guess Abraham Lincoln, Idina Menzel and Rick Ankiel. It’s a long story!

9.) What is in your fridge right now?
My fridge?? Haha!! Lots of Diet Dr. Pepper. I mean LOTS of it. Hot Pockets, too. Anyone who watched us back in 2004 will understand!

10. If you could have a different career, other then what you're doing now, what would it be?
No question about this one: Major League Baseball Player. Baseball was my OTHER passion. It was always one or the other for me. I've wanted to be a weatherman since I was five-years-old and saw Santa on radar on Christmas Eve...true story! That got me into weather. Baseball was my other love. I think I made the right choice. I played through college, but never really had the tools to seriously consider baseball as a career. Still, it would have been fun trying!

We hope you have enjoyed this week's profile.

We want you to be a part of the buzz!

If there is someone you want to hear from, please contact me and I will reach out to the local celebrity. You can e-mail me sfazan@abcactionnews.com or find me on Facebook and click the "Like" button.

I look forward to sharing this fun segment with the residents of Tampa Bay!